Awmzjitg-grtiabd



F. W. NIGHTINGALE.

AWNING GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 21. 1919.

1 ,307, 690. Patented June 24:, 1919.

FRANK w. NIGI-ITINGALE, or same, ivrassncnusnrrs.

i awmneenann.

Specification of Iietters Patent,

Patented June 24, 1919.

Application filed February 21, 1919. Serial No. 278,343.,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. NIGI-ITIN- GALE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Awning-Guards, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a guard or protecting device for awning frames.

The side members or rods of the awning frames are usually located about seven feet above the sidewalk and they are frequently bent by boys and young men jumping up and suspending their weight upon the same, thereby injuring the awning to such an eX- tent as to render it unsightly and inoperative to such extent as to require the removal of the awning to straighten the side rod.

' The present invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient guard or protector for the side rods or members of the awning frame in their operative position, whereby boys or other persons are deterred from suspending their weight from said members.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claim at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents in side elevation an awning frame provided with a guard or protector embodying this invention.

Fig. 2, an enlarged detail of the horizon tal member and guard shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, a cross section on the line 33, Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4, a cross section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 1, 0; represents one form of awning, such as now commonly used on the fronts of stores and like places and which is attached to a frame usually composed of a front rod Z) and side rods 0 extended from the ends thereof substantially at right angles thereto and pivoted at their rear ends at 10 to brackets 12 attached to the front of the building 13.

The side members or rods 0 offer an attractive means for boys and young men passing along the sidewalk to jump up and catch and suspend their weight therefrom, and

frequently the weight placed upon the side rods 0 is sufficient to bend the same and render the awning inoperative or at least hard to operate besides rendering the awning unsightly, and to straighten the bent side rod or rods frequently necessitates taking down the awning, which is not only annoylng but also more or less expensive.

To overcome this, the side rods 0 are provided with guards or protectors, preferably made as herein shown and consisting of a metal member 20 which is applied to the side rod 0 and is provided with a plurality of projections 21, which are for the best results punched out of the member 20 and eX- tend substantially at right angles thereto.

The guard is preferably made of sheet metal and its member 20 is curved transversely so as to enable it to be applied to the round side rod 0, and said guard may and preferably will be secured in fixed relatlon to. the side rod by split clamping rings or members, preferably of sheet metal and composed of a circular body portion 25 to embrace the side rod and the member 20 of the guard, and lugs or ears 26 extended from the body portion 25 and secured together by a screw 27 and nut 28 (see Fig. i). I

The projections 21 on the member 20 are arranged in close proximity to each other, so that when the guard is applied to the side rod 0 a series of relatively thin sharp projections are offered for the hands of the boy to grasp, which is not inviting to suspend his weight therefrom and which therefore acts as an effective means for deterring the boy from jumping up and catching the side bar to suspend his weight therefrom.

By making the guard curved transversely, it is capable of being used with rods of various sizes or diameters and further when the guard is affixed to the side rod it materially strengthens the latter, and enables new awning frames to be made materially lighter. By means of the split clamping rings, the guard may be secured in position on the awning rod in a minimum time, at a minimum expense and with a minimum of labor.

I have herein shown one construction of guard which may be preferred but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

Claim:

The combination with a. rod of an awning frame, of a guard therefor comprisingv a guard, and means for contracting said split curved metal member applied to said rod clamping rings to secure the said guard in and having projections integral therewith fixed relation to the awning rod.

and extended therefrom at an angle thereto, In testimony whereof I have signed my 10 5 split clamping rings encircling said rod and name to this specification] engaging the curved metal member of said FRANK W. NIGHTINGALE.

Copies of thisnatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. i 

